“Is it better to pursue change inside or outside the system?”
This was the question posed to the room of new CAUSE interns on the first day of orientation — it was an icebreaker, a way to encourage us to speak on the ways we approach change differently. Unlike the previous questions, which required us to stand on different sides of the room to communicate our seasonal preferences and food-related opinions, this one had us scattered between both sides. Like many of the other interns, I stood firmly near the center. As I heard arguments from other interns, I felt my opinion changed with every new point presented — I felt uncomfortably uninformed and consequently, ambivalent. This question stuck with me as we continued to hear from other perspectives throughout the course of Orientation Week and explored a number of ways in which other Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have answered this question.
Meghna Nair reaching up to place a card denoting a historical milestone for Asian Pacific Americans on a glass window. The card is one of dozens of others littering this window, each with colored dots and small symbols written on them in marker.
On the third day of this program, we were separated into small groups tasked with sorting and analyzing index cards with historical Asian and Pacific Islander milestones in America written on them. We placed them based on chronology, with colored dots and symbols representing the issues and demographics they affected. Looking at them spread across the wall, the balance of legislative and non-legislative milestones surprised me. I had expected the wall to be littered with protests and demonstrations of civil disobedience; the cards in front of me reflected a much greater emphasis on legislative changes. I had expected even proportions between both, but the strategies that had remained historically significant hadn’t as often been the individual efforts of protesters and organizations — it had been the legislative changes they had successfully brought to fruition.
Long Beach City Councilwoman Suely Saro, right, leans forward in her chair as she speaks to CAUSE interns, seated left.
On Thursday, we visited Long Beach City Councilmember Suely Saro, an Asian American who had organized with Khmer Girls in Action before taking up public office. During a Q&A session, I asked Saro what she had to change or sacrifice to adapt to government work after shifting her primary focus away from nonprofits. She replied that she realized she could no longer choose whom to serve once she was in office — all of her constituents had to be represented, even those who hated her or opposed everything she had stood for as an organizer. Moreover, she adjusted to accept funding and resources from all kinds of organizations— this was the only way she could gain enough leverage to maintain her influence in the office. This forced us to reconcile the shortcomings of the “system” with the greater power it offered. Though Saro was now in a position to impact a greater population, she was forced to operate within a system that punishes radical change and explicit opinionation.
CAUSE Co-founder Charlie Woo, right, listening as Olivia Sieve, seated left, speaks.
The last of Orientation Week centered around networking, primarily with CAUSE board members; after a lesson cultivating our nascent networking skills, we had a few hours to practice them on people who understood and expected our naiveté. Because the organizers gave us time to have one-on-one conversations with the guests after general group time, I was fortunate enough to speak with CAUSE co-founder Charlie Woo for much of this time. During our conversation, I told Woo of my aspirations to use legal training to establish or work for a non-profit to help survivors of political abuses prosecute the government. He responded by telling me that someone who wants to uplift their community and pursue diversity in places of power can do so in one of two ways: by challenging powerful groups or by endearing oneself to them through amenability. I told him how much this reminded me of the question posed at the beginning of orientation — in my mind, challenging correlated with working outside the system, while complying correlated with working within it. He urged me to choose which of these I “was,” which choice I would make based on my personality and strengths.
Each of these three experiences provided a different perspective on the question of whether change was better pursued from outside or inside the system. First, it was clear based on the index card activity that, looking back on Asian and Pacific Islander American history, legislation largely characterized the rights and experiences of people within this community. However, speaking to Councilmember Suely Saro revealed the shortcomings of organizing while in public office. Charlie Woo synthesized these points into a single argument: that each person has a choice in how to approach change based on their personality and personal goals.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the views or positions of CAUSE or the CAUSE network.
Written by Olivia Sieve, Leadership Academy 2023 Intern.
The CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA) for students is a nine-week, paid, internship program that prepares college undergraduates to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific Islander community on their campuses and beyond.